Abrek

Abrek^[a] is a Caucasian term used for a lone Caucasian warrior living a partisan lifestyle outside power and law and fighting for a just cause. An abrek would renounce any contact with friends and relatives, and then dedicate his life to praying and fighting for justice.

Zelimkhan, the most famous Chechen abrek

Sulumbek of Sagopshi, one of the most famous Caucasian abreks.^[1][2]

The origin of the word is unsure. In Russian Empire, during the Caucasian War all militant persons of North Caucasus were called abreks.^{[citation needed]} Since then it has the derogatory meaning of "bandit" in Russian.

Before and even after the establishment of Soviet power in the Caucasus in the 1920s, abreks continued to resist, for the most part in Ingushetia and Chechnya, many of them also in Georgia after the Soviet conquest of the country. Abreks provoked the rebellions^{[citation needed]} of 1920-21, 1924, 1929–31, 1931-1939, and the last in 1940-44. During the Deportation of the Chechens and Ingush in 1944 several local guerilla groups were formed against Stalinist repression. The most prominent abrek during this period was the Ingush guerilla fighter Akhmed Khuchbarov. The last anti-Soviet Chechen abrek Khasukha Magomadov was killed on 28 March 1976 at the age of 70.^[3]

History

A person who became an abrek was usually a Caucasian, having taken a vow of revenge due to grief, shame or resentment. The newly appeared abrek abandoned his native society and wandered on his own without any companions. From that moment on, there were no more laws for him, and even his own life was not valuable to him, he dedicated his entire existence to fighting for a specific purpose. Therefore, coming across an abrek was considered dangerous. In addition, abreks almost never surrendered, preferring to fight to the death or instead commit suicide if there were no other options left. The primary targets of abreks usually were Cossacks who occupied their lowlands, Russian trade, banking, and mail services, because of the proximity of the Georgian Military Road, a major artery connecting Russia and Georgia.

Russian caucasologist N. Yakovlev, described how the occupation of the native lands by Cossack colonisers and oppression of the Ingush, "turned kind and gentle people into the first abreks of the Caucasus, fighting for their place in the Sun".^[4]

The Russian view on the abreks is that they were simply mountain bandits and outlaws; however, they were depicted as men of honor by some Russian authors. The locals view is that they were heroes of valor, much like Robin Hood. As Moshe Gammer points out in his book Lone Wolf and Bear, Soviet ideology fell somewhere in between the two views―and notably, one such abrek, Zelimkhan, was made a Chechen hero.^[5]

See also

• Zelimkhan Gushmazukayev – the most prominent Chechen abrek
• Uzhakhov – Ingush abrek who killed Soviet Communist leader of Ingushetia Chernoglaz. Executed by Russian communists.
• Sulumbek of Sagopshi – Ingush abrek and a close friend of Zelimkhan Gushmazukayev
• Akhmed Khuchbarov – Ingush abrek, killed by the NKVD
• Laisat Baisarova – Ingush woman-sniper who is alleged to have murdered scores of Russian soldiers and NKVD officers 1944-1991. Never killed or captured.

Notes

1. Adyghe: Абрэдж, romanized: Abredzh; Chechen: Обарг, romanized: Obarg; Ingush: Эба́рг, romanized: Ebarg; Ossetian: Абырæг, romanized: Abyräg; Russian: Абрек